1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power supply circuit breaker for implementing the connecting and disconnecting of a power supply by the mating and separating, by an operation of a lever, between two connector housings.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, in an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, in order to secure operation safety such as for maintenance of an electric system, a power supply circuit breaker (service plug) capable of shutting off the conduction between a power supply and a load is installed. As a conventional power supply circuit breaker of this type, one disclosed in Patent Document 1 (US 2003/0057958 A) is given.
A conventional power supply circuit breaker 100 includes, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, a first connector housing 101, a second connector housing 110 configured to be mated with and separated from the first connector housing 101, and a lever 120 rotatably and slidably provided at the second connector housing 110 and configured to cause a mating force and a separating force to act between the second connector housing 110 and the first connector housing 101 by rotation of the lever 120.
A pair of cam pins 102 are protrudingly disposed on respective side faces of the first connector housing 101. The first connector housing 101 is provided with a first main terminal (not illustrated) and a first signal terminal (not illustrated) respectively. The first main terminal (not illustrated) is disposed in a connector mating chamber while the first signal terminal (not illustrated) is disposed in an outer hood portion 104.
A pair of support shafts 111 are protrudingly disposed on respective side faces of the second connector housing 110. The second connector housing 110 is provided with a second main terminal (not illustrated).
A pair of support shaft receiving grooves 121 are formed on respective side faces of the lever 120. Each of the support shaft receiving grooves 121 includes a rotation support portion 121a configured to support the rotation of concerned support shaft 111 and a slide support portion 121b which communicates with the rotation support portion 121a and is configured to support the sliding movement of the support shaft 111. Accordingly, the lever 120 is rotatably and slidably supported on the second connector housing 110. A pair of cam grooves 122 are provided on respective side faces of the lever 120. Each of the cam grooves 122 includes a curved portion 122a configured to gradually change the distance from concerned rotation support portion 121a and a straight portion 122b which communicates with the curved portion 122a and extends in parallel with the slide support portion 121b. The cam pins 102 of the first connector housing 101 are inserted into the cam grooves 122. A hood portion 124 for receiving the second signal terminal (not illustrated) is disposed at a side face portion of the lever 120.
A main circuit switch (not illustrated) includes the first main terminal (not illustrated) and the second main terminal (not illustrated). A signal circuit switch (not illustrated) includes the first signal terminal (not illustrated) and the second signal terminal (not illustrated).
In the above structure, the power supply conducting operation of the power supply circuit breaker 100 will be explained. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the second connector housing 110 with the lever 120 set in a first operation position is inserted into a connector mating chamber (not illustrated) of the first connector housing 101. Then, each of the cam pins 102 is inserted into an inlet of concerned cam groove 122 of the lever 120. The first connector housing 101 and the second connector housing 110 are brought into a connector temporary mating state.
Next, the lever 120 is rotated from the first operation position toward a second operation position. Then, the cam pins 102 move in the cam grooves 122 to thereby cause the mating force to act between the second connector housing 110 and the first connector housing 101. Accordingly, the second connector housing 110 will be gradually inserted into the connector mating chamber of the first connector housing 101.
Next, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the lever 120 is rotated to a connector mating operation position. Then, the first connector housing 101 and the second connector housing 110 are brought into a complete mating state. The first main terminal (not illustrated) and the second main terminal (not illustrated) gradually contact with each other in the process to the connector mating operation position, and then are brought into a contact state in the connector mating operation position. Accordingly, the main circuit switch (not illustrated) is brought into a connecting state in the connector mating operation position.
Next, the lever 120 is slidably moved from the connector mating operation position to the second operation position. In the slide movement process, the first signal terminal (not illustrated) and the second signal terminal (not illustrated) gradually contact with each other and then, as illustrated in FIG. 3, are brought into a contact state in the second operation position. Accordingly, the signal circuit switch (not illustrated) is brought into the connecting state in the second operation position of the lever 120.
The powersupply breaking operation of the power supply circuit breaker 100 is implemented by reversely operating the lever 120 as described above. That is, the lever 120 in the second operation position is slid to the connector mating operation position and is rotated from the connector mating operation position to the first operation position.
It is not until the main circuit switch (not illustrated) and the signal circuit switch (not illustrated) are both brought into the connecting state that the power supply circuit breaker 100 brings the power supply (not illustrated) into the conduction state. That is, only when the lever 120 is in the second operation position, the power supply is brought into the conduction state, and when the lever 120 is in the operation position(s) other than the second operation position, the power supply is in a non-conduction state.
This prevents such an event that the operator may misinterpret that the power supply is in the non-conduction state because the lever 120 is not in the second operation position.
Further, the lever 120 is slidably operated from the second operation position to the connector mating operation position and is rotatably operated from the connector mating operation position to the first operation position. Thus, a time lag can be secured in the operation from the second operation position to the first operation position of the lever 120, that is, a time lag can be secured from a breraking state of the signal circuit switch (not illustrated) to a breaking state of the man circuit switch (not illustrated). Thus, any failure such as spark which may be attributable to a remaining electric charge after the breaking of the signal circuit switch (not illustrated) can be prevented.